Rift Mode Feedback

[nwardezir]

let us know here how your feeling about Rift mode

So, if you ask it, for what it worth.

The PROs

• it’s casual
• it’s fun (mixed faction combos, no ladder/meta pressure)
• it allows doing your daily quests (thanks for that)
• there is nothing to win (no spirit, no cards, no orbs except the unique meme Serpenti) keep it that way
• it’s more forgiving than Gauntlet (no 3 strikes and out)

The CONs

• UI/UX would really need some little corrections (back button leaving the Rift mode when you’re in a deck detail being the worse to me, no easy switch between decks) ¹
• some decks are more clunky than other (Faie++ with removal, Abyssian-- with dual-gimped creep/swarm theme)
• having 5 upgrade only on your first General/match is disappointing when you pay 150 to start a second General (I did it and after a couple of matches, the fun wasn’t here and went back to my first General)
• matchmaking seems to be … inexistent, you can meet the same guy 3 times in a row, even if he has a thousand-worth spirit value deck and you’re just starting

Summary : keep up the good work !

sidenote ¹

If I have courage and time, I’ll compile Rift UX/UI issues and add them to Interface Fix thread but to be honest, I’m not feeling any progress is done or planed on this topic. The other day I was watching a Streamer browsing his matches in order to show one he previously did, and seeing him having to leave the Match History, go back to main menu, and re-enter again, several time in a row just because there is a “Next” button but no “Previous” … that was embarassing. Shame, shame, shame.

[darxim]

A pay-to-play mode that has absolutely no rewards, even first win of the day and win 3? Doesn’t this mean that this game mode is DOA? I mean, it’s fun, sure, and I might keep playing my free run a bit, but I can’t see actually paying gold or money to enter into one of these, seeing as that payment is a guaranteed loss. Even if you win, you lose.

Also, are there going to be leaderboards? If the sole purpose is competition, leaderboards would be necessary. Otherwise, you’ve got a vague idea at best of where you are.

[trulster]

And I guess wins dont even count towards banners either. Should be easy to fix.

[alplod]

I mean, it’s fun, sure, and I might keep playing my free run a bit, but I can’t see actually paying gold or money to enter into one of these, seeing as that payment is a guaranteed loss. Even if you win, you lose

This seems like a very strange conclusion for me. Don’t know about you, but I’m mostly playing for fun. You mentioned, that the mode is fun. Isn’t it a win by itself then?

Too many people talking about, you know, investments. However, the mode is free and fun.

The reward will be great, of course, everybody loves more free stuff (not excluding me), but not necessary IMO.

[Aeruniel]

Some more feedback:

I notice I have no incentive to play this, as my deck will take ages to develop to a good enough stage and I know it’s all getting wiped without any ranking reward or so at the end.

[darxim]

Too many people talking about, you know, investments. However, the mode is free and fun.

It’s not free, though. We’re only getting one initial free run. After that, it’s the same cost as Gauntlet. If it were free, I wouldn’t care about rewards. As it is, if there are no rewards, I’m better off playing Ranked mode where I can actually build up my far-from-complete collection, allowing me to make more and better decks for Ranked play. Ranked play is free.

[Aeruniel]

So if I save a group I lose my choice of card?? Dammit! I really wanted to choose a particular card and save the REST… is this intended? I just lost a levelup choice.

And I lost the saved bunch of cards as well!
Does everyone have that bug?

I had a new level, opened a bunch of cards then saved before choosing one, at which point I got no replacement card, then exited the game, then today leveled, I thought I’d get the saved cards but instead I got a new set of card when I clicked levelup…
Serious bug.

[baubledawdle]

Idea is nice, what kills it [for me] is matchmaking. Matchmaking is HORRIBLE.
As silver player, just started rift run with 5 free upgrades and what you think? Constantly being matched with Diamond and SRank players with helot of badges, all key rares dropped by curve and guaranteed leg or 2 dropped by turn 5-7. Thus obviously 15 upgrades or more.
Moreover, I had to surrender to one SRank with very well made deck, then guess what I got matched with him in a VERY NEXT game 5 seconds later. Was it so hard to implement at least simple level of protection like “cant be matched with same person twice in a row”? Like in other games its usually obvious rule?
How am I supposed to win even 1 match for quest in such semi-pro-play environment?
Well ye I did it later, pure accidently for opponents silly mistake, not sure I’m gonna win another match in a week in this mode thou.

*Forgot to add, I won’t ever play this mode after I finish free run, for same reason I can’t play Gauntlet - only veterans and SRank can get any profit or fun from it, I aint getting much fun losing to them every match (thus, another vets-only mode)

[alplod]

Additional feedback from me here, with a question.

As for now, when the initial admiration faded, I can say that this mode has rather slow development for a mode that is there for a month. I’d personally would love things to be sped up a bit. Like additional xp for winning streaks, or xp multiplied by a fraction of a rating. Playing well should definitely be rewarded, at least inside the game mode itself, even if not outside it.

And I also would like to ask @Ryvirath. When (if) the mode will be there on permanent basis, will the drafted decks be reset every month, or the deck you drafted will be yours forever? If the second option is intended - then I see no problems in a slower pace of upgrades. However, if it is reset - then it’s too little time for an average player (and I consider myself an average one ) to make that particular something work.

Hope it is possible for you to answer this question at the moment)

[Ryvirath]

Hi Alplod, this mode is still being tested, so there are no definitive plans for if it will become a permanent fixture, because of that things like if drafts would be reset etc are not currently on the docket due to the temporary nature of the mode currently.

[nwardezir]

it’s the same cost as Gauntlet.

The cost is the same but the playtime is different.
In Gauntlet, you pay 150gp and after 3 loss or 12 wins, you’re out.
In Rift, for the same price, you can almost play forever (as it requires “loss-streak of 19-20 to reach 0 from the starting point” *).

Paying 150gp (which is 2 days of daily quests) to have a new funny mode I can play forever, with new mechanics (cross faction) and that allows you to do your quests without hurting your Ladder Rank, it’s fine by me, and I guess I’m not alone, considering how loud the Community was about asking for a Casual mode.

Dunno if it’s a feeling but it’s seems that the more months pass and Duelyst grows, the more players looks like unsatisfied spoiled child (no offense)

[exerio]

To sum it up. Good stuff:
-Extremely fun, price for runs is good, memes, really enjoyable.
Bad stuff:
-RNG general selection is real bad, I paid 600 gold, and still didn’t get the general I wanted.
-Lack of goal/reward. Yeah it is fun but I’d rather play ladder/gauntlet and get gold and new cards to expand my collection.
-I’d really like to see curve widget.

Anyway thanks devs for the great work and new mode!

[gabriek]

The rift matchmaking has nothing to do with the ranked ladder, it has to do with your deck rating. So in theory your deck should be about just as good as theirs. Maybe if you hate losing so much you should look at your own play.

[owlington]

I do not know if this is exclusive to Steam users but I am unable to scroll through my decklist in the Rift Mode screen where you choose what cards to replace. This means that i cannot choose to change my high mana cards.

[alplod]

I had the problem while using touchpad. Mousewheel worked correctly, however.

[Veritis]

Perhaps let us name our decks, most of us would only have a few decks atm so they’re easy enough to recognise.

The number of decks is only gonna keep stacking…unless there is something to remove decks.

[kirabi]

My biggest problem with the mode is that the starter decks are horrible and it takes way too long to put together decks that are fun or good to play.The 5 free upgrades should be put up to around 8 to 10 and that should be available for every run.I love the mode but i am never going to do a second run the grind to get a decent deck is way too long much less a very good deck .

[baubledawdle]

why no, totally not horrible. At least starter Lyonar looks like it should be. But when starter deck get matched vs 10wins deck it is indeed horrible, I prefer waitin another 5 mins in queue than that.

[degenerator]

Guys I really don’t understand the ranking system in rift mode. How much is 744? Also is there like a maximum rank you can reach?

[whyb0t]

744 is pretty decent, it seems to be set up so that 500 is average? So you start at 500 and win or lose from there. I can tell you that the leaderboard starts at around 850-900 and goes all the way up to around 1500 (or higher, Dragall grinds).

These numbers will likely go up though because the S rankers just get repeatedly matched with silver players who haven’t updated their decks, so the numbers will go up and up forever unless there’s a rank reset.